1st Edition
The Power of Myth-understandings Critical Skills for Effective Intercultural Doctoral Supervision of Chinese Students
1 General introduction 2 Fear and joy, contentment and anguish: Reconciling neglected emotions of international doctoral students 3 “I don’t believe you”: Misunderstandings between a Chinese doctoral student and a Dutch supervisor 4 Asking a “stupid” question? Fostering independence within the zone of proximal development 5 Bridging the operational gap: Decoding and operationalizing the implicit complex intercultural knowledge in practice 6 Problems or promises? Intercultural differences as catalysts for mutual learning 7 A practical guide: How to celebrate intercultural differences and effectively address misunderstandings
Biography
Yanjuan Hu is an associate professor in Higher Education at the Faculty of Education, Southwest University. She obtained her PhD from Leiden University Graduate School of Teaching, the Netherlands. Her current research interests include transcultural teaching and learning, virtual internationalization, supervision of student research, and teacher professional development.
“A must read for any supervisor of international PhD students. Through careful studies, the author shows the need for intercultural awareness in PhD supervision and provides clear evidence-based recommendations how to uncover our biases and the hidden curriculum we so much implicitly rely on.”
Professor Roeland van der Rijst, Leiden University, The Netherlands
“Delving into Chinese PhD students' intercultural experiences with Dutch supervisors, including her own, Yanjuan's work insightfully interprets the emergence and dynamics of their heterogeneous misunderstandings. It reveals these differences as sources for mutual learning, not merely barriers. Reading her compelling reflections will definitely benefit future students and supervisors.”
Xiaowei Tang, University of Macau
“Dr. Hu’s book, The Power of Myth, offers a timely and insightful exploration of the cultural nuances in doctoral supervision, equipping educators with practical tools to overcome misunderstandings and foster meaningful supervision for Chinese doctoral students. It is an essential read for academics committed to inclusive and effective cross-cultural collaboration in higher education.”
Hongbiao Yin, Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
